Landscape Drafter

Create the technical blueprints for landscaping projects.

What does a Landscape Drafter do?

Do you find yourself slowing down to appreciate the ornate garden down the street from your house? Do the pond, plants, and water feature at the park distract you with their beauty as you play your frisbee game? If so, you might be destined to have a career as a Landscape Drafter.

When you think of landscaping, you probably imagine wandering through lush gardens and manicured golf courses. If you do, you’re on the right track to becoming a successful Landscape Drafter. As a Landscape Drafter though, you keep your shoes clean and dry because you work in an office, creating the spectacular designs that later show up in your town.

Using computer software programs and a sketch pad, you create designs that suit the needs of Engineers, Architects, Project Managers, Nursery Owners, and other professionals who work on major landscaping projects. Your contribution to the team is in the details. You gather pertinent information such as measurements, the direction of water runoff, and customer preferences, and then start to work. You consider the types of plants that will thrive in the area, and incorporate water fountains, ponds, waterfalls, raised beds, and irrigation systems.

Next, you create colorful designs that allow the client to see the finished product before it is even begun. Your design helps them estimate costs, visualize the layout, and make changes. Once the plan is approved, the landscaping team implements it, and soon your design will come alive for others to enjoy and admire.